Genres often blend, and some genres blend better than others. Sci-fi and horror are great examples of two genres that perfectly coexist, often creating phenomenal films, series, and video games — like Alien, Dead Space, and Soma, just to name a few.
Horror and fantasy also come together quite often. In fact, much of fantasy’s roots – like folklore, fairy tales, and mythology – often leaned heavily into horror, serving as a narrative way to warn people about the world’s dangers. An entire subgenre, dark fantasy, is all about embracing the gloomier, creepier side of fantasy.
This is all to say that fans of fantasy and sci-fi have lots to enjoy during the spooky season (and year-round). To help you find something to watch this Halloween, I picked five sci-fi and fantasy horror movies I think you should check out. And if you've already seen these five, I shared a larger list of other excellent sci-fi and fantasy horror movies to watch.
Let's get the list started with Army of Darkness.
Army of Darkness (1992)
We all love Evil Dead (and if you’ve never seen it, that’s your first assignment), but what happens when Ash accidentally gets sent back to the Middle Ages? Well, we get treated to a film that pokes fun at both horror and fantasy tropes.
Even better, Ash accidentally misreads a spell and summons an army of undead warriors. While Army of Darkness is never praised as much as the first two Evil Dead films, it’s a wildly fun time, and throwing Ash back to the Middle Ages makes for a unique entry in the franchise that’s perfect for fantasy fans.
Army of Darkness is streaming on AMC+ and Prime Video.
Glorious (2022)
Former True Blood hunk Ryan Kwanten stars in Glorious, a film that takes place in a rest stop bathroom.
After Kwanten goes into a stall to, um…cough cough… relieve himself, he quickly notices that he's not alone. There’s even someone in the other stall with a specific request. But it turns out it’s not really a someone and more of a something, a Lovecraftian monster (voiced by none other than J.K. Simmons).
Anyone who knows the cosmic horror genre can probably already guess things aren't going to go well, and the entire world hangs in the balance. Plus, there’s a fantastic twist at the end!
Glorious is available to stream on Shudder.
Event Horizon (1997)
Event Horizon may have been a box office flop when it first premiered, but thanks to the video rental market, the movie became a huge cult classic, even serving as an inspiration for the game Dead Space and the film Sunshine.
In the movie, a distress call is received from the Event Horizon, a ship that went missing years earlier. As it turns out, the Event Horizon’s proprietary gravity drive accidentally took the ship to Hell (whoopsies!), and now it’s filled with a sentient, evil presence that's hellbent on driving the crew insane.
Event Horizon is available to stream on Paramount+.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow is quite a low-key fantasy movie. It’s got the vibe, the setting, witches, grandiose fights for power, and the classic folklore trope of a headless horseman.
Tim Burton took Washington Irving’s short story and expanded it into a gorgeous dark fantasy film that was released in 1999. It's the perfect dark fantasy movie to watch this fall.
The cast is fantastic and includes everyone from Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken to Miranda Richardson and Casper Van Dien. Even cooler, Sleepy Hollow is a real town in New York, and Irving is buried in its historic cemetery. For a bit of dark fantasy heavily rooted in Americana, this is a must-watch.
Sleepy Hollow is available to stream on Paramount+.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Going more into the fantasy direction, Pan’s Labyrinth is an iconic favorite. Written, directed, and produced by Guillermo del Toro, the film follows a young girl trying to escape her oppressive life. She stumbles upon a secret realm and learns that she’s actually a princess. To claim her throne, she must complete three trials — all of which are pretty heavy and dark for a child to be forced into.
Those adult themes, combined with the gorgeously creepy setting (and some actual, straight-up horrifying imagery, like the Pale Man), make Pan’s feel like a mature, complex take on the dark fantasy formula.
Pan's Labyrinth is not streaming with a subscription in the US, but you can buy/rent the movie on several SVOD services.
More sci-fi and horror movies to watch
- Alien
- Aliens
- Predator
- A Quiet Place
- Bird Box
- The Fly (The 1986 one)
- The Thing (The original… don’t waste your time with the bad CGI in the 2011 film)
- The Faculty
- Hellraiser
- The Craft
- The VVitch
- The Mist
- Prey
- Nope
- Cube
If you need some more good sci-fi and horror movies to watch this Halloween, check out some of teh other great movies I shared.
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